Fluid control device



F. R. MCFARLAND ET AL 2,588,140

FLUID CONTROL DEVICE March 4, i952 Filed Feb. l, 1946 Patented Mar. 4, 1952 FLUID CONTROL DEVICE Forest R. McFarland, Huntington Woods, Herbert L. Misch, Ferndale, and Jerald E. Foley, Detroit, Mich., assignors to Packard Motor Car Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application February 1, 1946, Serial No. 644,850

11 Claims. l

This invention relates to iiuid control devices and niore particularly to valve devices operated 1n response to a plurality of governing means.

In some forms of ow control devices, it is desirable to regulate valve operation by two interrelated governing factors such as speed and pressure. As an example, such devices are useful in controlling fluid pressure systems for applying friction devices in motor vehicle transmissions to automatically change the gear ratio and thereby obtain the best mechanical advantage for varying operating conditions. The speed factor is obtained by a governor usually operated in accordance with vehicle speed, while the force factor is often obtained by the pressure in the engine intake manifold because it is directly proportional to the throttle valve opening thereby allowing the vehicle driver to be in control. In such known control devices, the manifold pressure has directly modified the normal action of the speed governor in controlling opening and closing movement of the valve so that the speed range in which the gear ratio can thus be changed has been limited. Furthermore, with such control devices it is possible to shift back and forth between two gear ratios in` such limited speed range upon normal driving operation of the accelerator pedal and this condition is undesirable.

An object of the invention is to provide a control device in which two governing means are related to eiect a change in the gear ratio of a transmission to reduce torque multiplication over a wide vehicle speed range as dictated by the vehicle driver through manipulation of the accelerator pedal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a control device in which two governing means of the character referred to are related to effect change of the gear ratio of a transmission to reduce torque multiplication anywhere in a predetermined vehicle speed range as determined by the accelerator pedal position and which will sustain such gear ratio regardless of manipulation of the pedal until the vehicle speed falls below the lowest speed in the predetermined vehicle speed range.

A further object of the invention is to provide a -flow control device in which correlative valve members having interdependent passage means are actuated respectively by speed sensitive means and the pressure sensitive means.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description taken -in connection with the drawing, which forms a part of this specification, and in which:= ..1

. 2 Fig. 1 is a sectional view ofthe control device incorporating Vthe invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the control device shown in Fig. 1 butwith the valve members in .a different relation; Fig. 3 is an elevational View of an engine and transmission with the fluid system and control device associated therewith; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a modified form of pilot and control means for the pressure responsive wall means.

Referring now to the drawings, a control device incorporating the invention is indicated generally by numeral I0. The device controls uid ow through a pressure system comprising pump II and conduits I2 and I3 leading to a device I4 to be controlled.

The device I0 consists of a sectional casing I5 carrying valve housing means I6 that may be a member having preferably a lcylindrical valve chamber I1. Such housing member is formed with a uid inlet port I8, a yfluid outlet port .I9 and a vent 20. Passage 2| in casing I5 leads from the conduit I2 V`to inlet .port I8, passage 22 in casing I5 leads from outlet port I9 toconduit I3 and passage 23 connects vent 20 with atmosphere.

A pair of correlativa nested valve member 24 and 25 project into the chamber -inthe housing means I6 and such members are preferably of cylindrical form with the outer sleeve member 24 telescoping the inner solid member 25. The valve members have interdependent passage means therein. The passage means in the outer sleeve member consists of a relatively long annular exterior recess 26 and circularly extending slots or ports 21 while the passage means in the inner member consists of an axially extending end passage 28, an exterior annular recess 29 and radial ports 30 connecting passage 28 and recess 29.

Valve member 24 has a sliding iit in housing member I6 and valve member 25 has a sliding fit in valve member 24. Flange 3I projects from the inner valve member and has a sliding fit with the inner wall surface of chamber I1, such flange being disposed so that its range of movement is intermediate vent 20 and outlet rport I9. t

Valve member 24 is .arranged to be actuated by speed sensitive means while valve member 25 is arranged to be actuated by pressurel sensitive means. The outer valve member passage means is always open to inlet Vport I8 while the inner valve member passage means is always open to outlet-v port lil so thatluid yflow through the control device will be established Whenever the passage means in the valve members register. The end of the inner valve member, outside of housing I6, is adjacent pressure responsive wall. means consisting of diaphragm 35 and pilot 35. Casing 1I 5 is 'divided into chambers 3l and 3S by the pressure `responsive means and chamber 38 is connected by conduit 38 with a variable pressure source 39. Follower spring 40 in chamber I B exerts sufficient pressure against flange 3| to hold the inner valve member against the pressure responsive wall means, and spring V4I in chamber 38 exerts an opposite pressure against the wall means sufficient to leave a gap 43 between the head of pilot 36 and 'stop means, in the form of a hollow abutment flange 42 in which the pilot shank is slidably mounted, under the lowest pressure condition existing in chamber 38.

The housing member I6 may be a part of the speed sensitive means for reciprocating the 'outer valve member and in such case itsshank il'carries gear'li'l held thereon bynut'zandin driving-relation therewith 'by bauss'fjseatec 'a recess therein and extending irl-to 'slot' 54lin 'the gear. This gear I rotates member IG and .ny-

weights 55 are connected'thereto in 'chamber 3'! by pins 56. The -weights are provided with fingers 51 engaging between anges 58 on mem ber 24 and `rpivotal movement of the weights cause the fingers to reciprocate the outer valve member. Outward movement 'of the weightsis opposed by spring 60 housed in recess AtI in memtransmission as the engine intake manifoldmay Y be the source 39 of sub-atmospheric pressure'and the driven shaft-65 may be used to drive gear 65 meshing `with gear 5I. The device I4 to be controlled may be a clutch for locking up a planetary gearing, of the type shown in Patent No. 373,234 to W. A. Duiiield, to rotate as a unit in transmitting power from engine 61 to 'the driven shaft. Brake V'III holds the planetary carrier 'I'I stationary when the clutch is released to obtain'a higher torque multiplying gear ratio. The engine throttleva'lve 68 in the -fuel intake system is controlled by accelerator pedal 69.

The `pressure'r'esponsive Wall means is exposed to sub-atmospheric pressure in chamber 38 and to atmospheric pressure'in chamber 3'1 and as 'follower spring 40 holds valve member 25 against the wall means, they will shift axially V`together as the pressure in chamber 38 varies. VvPressure in the intake manifold is directly proportional to throttle valve opening, so lowest pressure occurs with the accelerator pedal lifted to idling position and highest pressure 'occurs vwhen the pedal is depressed to full throttle opening. 'The inner valve member is responsive to such pressure conditions and the outer valve member is resub-atmospheric pressurewill exist inthe intakemanifold andchamber 38`Atherby moving the n diaphragmwall means almost to its'extreme distended position-and allowingfspring 40 to' 'move v'alve member 25-'j therewith. As the.VV 4"vehicle is Ystanding stilLfthe weights -55I `are at rest sand* -asrthe accelerator pedal is depressed.

Whenthe vehicle is moving, the weights swing outwardly forcing valve member 24 inwardly of member I6 to an extent dictated by centrifugal force opposed by spring 60. The passage means in the valve members are arranged relatively so that a predetermined vehicle speed, say 15 miles perhour; must be reached before they register to allow fluid flow to the clutch device. The valve 4member A25 vmoves kaxially in response tn intake manifold pressure or directly to throttle valve position so in any vehicle speed range, say rfrom 15 to'50 miles per hour, this valve member may be moved to -allow fluid flow. Thus the valve members operate independently and the registration of their passage means may be madeat the will of the vehicle driver through manipulation of the accelerator pedal anywhere in the speed range to engage the'clutch device for changing to a lower torque multiplying condition in the transmission. At such time valve member 24 will shut of communication between vent 20 and the passage means in valve member 25, see Fig. 2. Slots in the inner end of valve member 25 allow iiuid iiow between passage 28 and port I9 when the valve is'moved to abut wall surface 9| of the housing meansin response to pressure rise.

After the vent 'is closed and passage means in the valve members are interrelated, iluid pressure will build up in chamber I1 and will act against flange'3l to project valve member 25 outwardly of valve member 24 until stopped by the head of pilot 36 seating against abutment member 42. Thus ports -30 and 21 are placed out of register and pressure uid is trapped in passage 22 and conduit I3 to thereby hold the clutch device engaged until valve 24 is moved by reduced centriiugal force to open vent 20 to the passage means in valve member 25. Because fluid pressure in chamber I1 acts to distend the diaphragm to a greater extent than is possible with lowestl pressure, the vehicle speed at which venting occurs to relieve pressure from the clutch device is lower than the minimum vehicle speed at which the clutch device can be engaged. Thus when fluid is admitted t'o the clutch vdevice it -will be trapped, regardless of change in vacuum, until the vehicle speed falls below that at which the clutch device can engage. The transmission when conditioned by the clutch device for a certain gear ratio driv'e will be locked in such ratio within the predetermined speed range allowing the accelerator pedal to be manipulated for driving without danger of shift back to another gear ratio.

The flexibility ofl diaphragm 35 plus the pressure of spring 4I determines the length of the gap 43 between the pilot head and the abutment means under low pressure in chamber 38. In order to obtain a predetermined gap length it is necessary that the diaphragm 35 shouldA at all times be taut and this is sometimes dincult to maintain. :In Fig. 4 we have shown a modified structure whereby .they ,pilot 4Vwill be maintained a, predetermined distance from the abutment means without resorting to tautness of the diaphragm 35, except of course when fluid pressure is present in the valve device.

In this modied form of pilot and control for the pressure responsive wall means, the shank of pilot 36 is formed as a cylinder and a spacer member l5 is axially movable therein to a limited extent. The spacer member is in the form of a sleeve having a flange 16 engaging the interior wall surface of the pilot shank. A snap ring 11 is fixed in the pilot shank for limiting the distance the abutment engaging end of the spacer member may be projected from the pilot by coil spring i8. The coil spring is strong enough to maintain the spacer member in its eXtreme projected position at all times except when there is uid pressure in the valve device. Thus the projection of the spacer member from the pilot shank will be constant without resorting to tautness of the diaphragm. Under extremely low pressure conditions in chamber 38 the spacer member will seat against casing I5 and when there is a pressure rise in the chamber the spacer will move away from the abutment wall of the casing in projected relation with the pilot and will remain in such relation until uid pressure acts through valve member 25 to again seat the spacer and continu-e movement of the pilot until it is also seated against the casing wall. This seating of the pilot has the same eiTect of causingY a lag below the governed speed in returning to geared drive from high speed drive, as previously described, and the lag will always be positive. In order to prevent pressure reaction in this control structure vent i9 is provided in the spacer member and vent 80 is provided in ange 42, the vents being in communicating relation.

It will be understood that various forms of the invention other than that described above the spirit vin the outer valve being always open to the iiuid inlet and in one range of positions being aligned only with the said other end of the inner valve i member passage so as to admit fluid under pressure through the inner valve to th-e outlet passage, said outer valve beingadapted to close the said other end to the vent when the passage in the outer valve is aligned with the other end of the inner valve passage, speed sensitive means for shifting the outer valve member, and variable fluid pressure responsive means for shifting the inner valve member.

2. A device for controlling ilow in a pressure uid system comprising a rotatable housing member having an interior chamber, a uid inlet, a fluid outlet and a vent, said inlet, outlet and vent being in communication with the chamber, a pair of relatively shiftable nested valve members in the chamber, each of said valve members having passage means, the passage means in the inner valve being always open at one end to the fluid outlet and at the other end being at times in communication with the vent,

the passage means in the outer valve being alwaysV open to the fluid inlet and in one range of positions being aligned only with the said other end of the inner valve member passage so as to admit iiuid under pressure through the inner valve to the outlet passage, said outer valve being adapted to close the said other end to the vent when the passage in the outer valve is aligned with the other end of the inner valve, yweights on the housing member connected to actuate one of the valve members, and means sensitive to variable uid pressure for actuating the other valve member.

3. A device as described in claim 2, the outer valve member being formed with a peripheral groove at one end thereof, and means on the flyl weights extending into the groove, thereby positioning the outer valve member relative to the rotatable housing member -accordance with the position of the flyweights.

4. A device for controlling flow in a pressure fluid system comprising ya housing member having a uid inlet and a fluid outlet, a pair of relatively shiftable nested valve members within the housing member, each of said valve members having passage means, the passage means in the inner valve being Valways open at one end to the iiuid outlet and the other end being controlled by the outer valve member, and the passage means in the outer valve member being always open to the iiuid inlet and adapted to be aligned with the said other end of the inner member to admit fluid under pressure to the passage in the inner valve member, speed sensitive means for shifting the outer valve member, wall means movable in response to fluid vpressure acting as one side thereof, said wall means being disposed adjacent one end of the inner valve member to exert a variable force on said inner valve member to eiect shift of said inner valve member, and a follower spring in the housing means holding the inner valve member against the wall means.

5. A device as described in claim 4, and means for rotatingthe housing, said speed sensitive means comprising flyweights rotatable with the housing, and means connecting the flyweights with the outer valve member whereby to shift the outer valve member relative to the housing and relative to the inner valvevmember to control the flow of iiuid under pressure to the inner valve member.

6. A device as described in claim 4, said movable wall means comprising a diaphragm, an abutment and a spring acting upon the diaphragm in opposition to the follower spring and reacting against the abutment, and said pressure means comprising a source of vacuum communicating with the face of the diaphragm wall means opposite the inner valve member.

7. A device as described in claim 4, means for rotating the housing, said speed sensitive means comprising flyweights and means for driving the flyweights from the housing.

8. In combination, a vehicle having an internal combustion engine, a fuel intake manifold for the engine, a variable speed ratio gear transmission for transmitting the power from the engine to a load, a gear ratio selector for the transmission, and control means for the gear ratio selector, said control means comprising a pressure fluid system for actuating the selector, a housing in the system forming a valve chamber and having an inlet port, an outlet port and a vent, a pair of relatively shiftable nested valve members inv the chamber, each4 o f said valve members having; passage means, the passage means inthe inner valve being always openat one, end to the iluid outlet and at the other end being aligned with the vent, the passage means in thef outer'valve being always open to the fluid inlet and having a portion which in one range of; positions of the outer valve member is aligned only with the vent and in another range of positions` of the outer valve member is aligned only with the said other end of the inner valve member so as to. admit iiuid under pressure through the inner valve to the outlet passage, means on the inner valve member responsive to fluid pressure in the passage, in said inner valve member to urge the inner valve memberin a direction to align the said passage in said` inner valve member withl the inlet port,l Wall means adjacent one, end of the`v inner valve member including aI diaphragm and a pilot, a follower spring in the chamber' acting upon the inner valve member to hold the said innervalve: member against. the wall, means, means, establishing communication between the face of the wall means oppositeI the inner-valve member and the engine intake manifold, means responsive to vehicle. speed for shifting the outer valve member, abutment means adjacent the face'ofthe wall meansremote from thelinner, valve member, the force exerted by the lastfmentioned spring and diaphragm being sufiicient to. leave a gap between the abutment means and the pilot under extreme low manifold pressure, the passage means in the valve memb'ers being aligned to connect the inlet port with the4 passage inthe inner valve member by the combined action` of the vehicle speed responsive means' and intake manifold pressure, the fluid pressurein the inner valve passage means acting upon the pressure responsive means on the inner valver member tomove the valvemember against the Wall means and the wall means againstrthe-pilot to seat the latter against the abutment means, whereby the passage means in the inner Valve member cannot be opened under any manifold pressure conditions--until the outer valve` member is moved by a reduction in vehicle speed.

9, The, combination as described in, claim 8, a spacer member slidable a limited extent in the pilot, and a spring projecting the spacer from the pilot, the force, exertedby. the last-mentioned spring being suiiicient to maintain the spacer in maximum projected relation from the pilot under all pressure conditions in the chamber.

10. A device for controlling flow in a pressure fluid system as described in claim 1, and means responsive to fiuid under pressure in the inner valve, passage to hold the inner valve member in a predetermined position corresponding to a shift of said inner valve member by the variable pressure means, thereby preventing the operation of the said variable pressure means.

11. A device for controlling flow in a pressure fluid systemV as described in claim 1, and means responsive to fluid under pressure in the inner valve passage to hold the inner valve. member in a predetermined position corresponding to a shift of said inner valve member by the variable pressure means, thereby preventing the operation of the said variable pressure means, said meansA responsive to fluid under pressure comprising a piston iiange on the inner valve member exposed on one side to the uid in the passage in the in,- ner valve and exposed on the other to the vent.

FOREST R. MCFARLAND. HERBERT L. MISCH.` JERALD E. FOLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the filev of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 459,545 Freeman Sept. 15, 1891 991,950 Carroll May 9, 1911 1,125,825 Englesson Jan. 19, 1915 FOREIGN PATENTS.

Number Country Date 612,163 France July 26, 1926 

